7 Paths to Managerial Leadership

Appendix E

Making Strategy Work—The Linkage ProcessBy Nancy R. Lee and Fred Mackenzie

The linkage process is a method of converting an organization’s long-term plans into actual work output. It involves a logical and systematic procedure in which employees, at all levels, actively participate.

There are two compelling reasons for implementing this process. The first is organizational, and the second is individual. Organizationally, it establishes a step-by-step way of ensuring that long-range plans and objectives are translated into desired results. Individually, it creates understanding of how each employee’s work output contributes to the overall goals of the organization. This enhances the motivation of each person, because output becomes ...